The New Operative
by unannehmlichkeiten
Summary: Takes place after Metal Gear Solid 4. Snake has presumably found his rest, but now a familiar face returns as foe. Can the most unlikely of heroes grow up in time to save the world? Please review!
1. Chapter 1: Big Plans

"0 1, 6 8, 4 5 7, 3 2, 7 5, 6 4, 9 6, 3 5..." Sunny stood up on her box inside the Nomad's kitchen, singing in her odd way and making (you guessed it) eggs. Snake had been gone for a few weeks now, and Otacon was preparing to leave in search of him. Sunny's cooking had become decent, though it was still limited to eggs, almost entirely sunny side up. She had not yet worked up the courage to foray into other styles, and wouldn't feel ready for some time. Finishing her latest batch of eggs, she took them down into the belly of the carrier aircraft, seeking out someone to share them with. Even if they did turn out right, and even though that meant things would be all right, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Otacon had been pretty vague about where Snake had gone, and said he might not be back. Could he be… no. That's not possible. He couldn't…die just like that.

Finding the hold to be empty, Sunny sat down at her computers, preparing to 'dive the net.' That sure was a funny term for using internet. Otacon had used that expression, said it was from a Sci-Fi anime he liked. Something about Ghosts with Shells, or something. Just as she was considering what to do until Otacon returned (could be days), a transmission came through on the large monitor behind her. It was Otacon, looking troubled.

"Sunny?"

"Yes, Uncle Hal?"

"Do you remember how we were talking about you maybe living outside?"

"Yes. Can I?"

"Well, do you remember Colonel Campbell? He was on this monitor a few times before."

"I…think so."

"He may have a way you can spend some time…outside."

Campbell took center stage as Otacon moved aside, and Sunny tried her best to look official, saluting as best she could recall and standing at what she thought was attention.

"Thank you, Sunny, but you don't have to do that. That's only for military personnel.

"Oh…ok. Sorry."

"That's all right. Now, I heard you wanted to spend some time outside, is that right?"

"Yes, sir," Sunny said, trying to be respectful.

"My people and I have a plan that may allow you to live outside, if you're willing to do what it takes."

"Ok…"

"We're sending a vehicle to come get you, so wait where you are, all right?"

"Yes sir!"

Finally, the chance of a lifetime! The chance to see the outside world. Any place would be an amazing change from the Nomad, even if it had become her home over the years. Sunny ran up the stairs and packed up her things: her B&B and Frog action figures Snake had been so nice to collect, her PS3 system, and other various things all went into a large cardboard box, which she lugged out onto the tarmac where the Nomad still sat grounded. Sunny went back to her computers, which would sadly be left behind for now, and calculated, based on a trace of Campbell's transmission, how long it would take a vehicle sent for her would take to arrive. To her distress, she found that even with air travel, she was at least 14 hours out from their position.

At a loss for how to spend her time (she had long since seen everything on the internet Uncle Hal had allowed her to, and some he hadn't. Yuck.) she walked into the back half of the cargo hold, where the helicopter once stood. Ever since Uncle Hal had left, that half had been very empty looking, and made Sunny uneasy, as her home looked unfamiliar now. What caught her attention about that area was a number of drawers once hidden by the helicopter, now easily accessible. Well, she thought, if I'm going to leave, I'd better explore this home before I get another. She perused the drawers cautiously, but found mostly documents and file folders full of maps and personal information. The personal files interested Sunny, and looked through Otacon's for a while. She memorized his birthday, and promised herself to get him a gift the next time it came around.

After searching all the drawers, Sunny moved on to some interesting metal cabinets set into the wall of the aircraft. She saw no locks, and opened the first cabinet. It was lined, to her surprise, with nothing but cigarettes, lighters, and disposal tubes for the cigarettes. Sunny was sure Snake had quit, Uncle Hal had told her so; why would he keep these around? The next cabinet held an impressive assortment of weaponry, from a spare Operator and Mk. II pistol to the intimidating DSR-1 sniper rifle and Desert Eagle Magnum, and even some grenades. The drawers below contained a myriad of ammunition: .45 ACP, 5.56mm, 5.7mm, 7.62mm, 9mm, anesthetic .22, and the huge .50AE were all well represented. Sunny was taken aback at this. She thought Snake was just sneaking around. She never knew how many people he had to…kill.

The next container was a coffin-like box which had a complex lock on the joint. Sunny approached, and immediately a monitor flickered on, with Otacon delivering an almost whispered message.

"Sunny," he said faintly "I told you that I'd gone to assist Snake. I thought he may have died, but when our recon found him alive I just had to go help him."

"You mean that's not where you went?" Sunny asked, wondering why he would have lied.

"That's not it. I found Snake, and we traveled together. I helped him live a normal life, without all the conflict he's been through."

"That's good, but where's he now?"

"It's complicated, Sunny, but I think you should know the whole truth, so I'll tell you. He's passed away, Sunny."

"But, you said you would stay with him. How could you let him…die?"

"He was an old man, Sunny. You saw how sick he was. People sometimes die just because they're old and frail."

"But…"

"Sunny, this is tough on everyone, but I need you to be strong now more than ever, ok?"

"O-ok."

"Now, do you remember the call you got from me and Campbell?"

"Yes?"

"That was _not_ me there, ok? Campbell's men captured Snake's body after we had it buried, and stole some FaceCamo from the Outer Haven wreckage. They're trying to lure you to them in order to silence you. You know Snake, and are one of their first round targets."

"Why would they want Snake's body? The fight is over, isn't it?"

"I'll tell you more later. For now, just remember that you have to disappear before Campbell's men get to you."

"How?"

"It's all in this box. I foresaw this problem, and made the necessary preparations. Go ahead and use the retinal scanner next to this screen"

Sunny leaned in close and let the fine beam identify her. The box unsealed itself with a hiss, and opened slowly. Inside, she saw a dark garment, which she hesitantly lifted and examined. It was almost identical to the one she had seen Snake wear when he was leaving on a mission.

"What is this thing, Uncle Hal? Why would I need this?"

"That's an OctoCamo suit, Sunny. I made this one especially for you, should things come to this."

"What if this hadn't happened? What would've happened to this suit?"

"Well, It would've made an interesting birthday present for you, wouldn't it?"

"I guess…"

"Alright, Sunny. I need you to put on the OctoCamo suit now. Go up to the kitchen, put it on, then come back here."

After some difficulty (just how does one put on an OctoCamo suit?) Sunny returned, looking very much like Solid Snake himself, except for being tiny, slight of build, blonde, and a girl.

"I'm back, Uncle Hal. How do I look?"

"Snake would be proud, Sunny. Now, go into the cabinet and get the Operator."

"The what?"

"Snake's favorite weapon was a .45 ACP pistol called the Operator. It's the handgun with the black barrel and the wooden grip. Do you see it there?"

"Yes. I've got it. Should I load it now?"

"Yes, but wait. How do you know how to load the Operator?"

"I needed a way to pass the time, so I looked up some information on gun usage. I won't have to kill anyone, will I, Uncle Hal?"

"Hopefully not, Sunny. If you need to engage anyone, you should use the Mk. II pistol. Go get it from the cabinet. It's the one with the very long barrel and wood grip."

Sunny and Otacon continued to brief on the upcoming mission for many hours, until she felt ready to burst from all the new information.

"Just one more thing, Sunny, and this is your most important instruction. _Avoid unnecessary combat at all costs_. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I wouldn't want to anyway. Is that what you told Snake as well?"

"I told him that before every mission we ran."

"So why does he need all these guns?"

"Sunny, there's a saying that goes, 'no plan survives contact with the enemy.'"

"Oh. I won't have to make contact with the enemy, will I?"

"I really hope not, Sunny."


	2. Chapter 2: First Mission

Sunny donned the modified command vest left to her by Otacon, and holstered the Operator, but left the Mk. II pistol drawn. She practiced holding it at arms length (not an easy task for her) and drawing it from various holsters. Aiming down the sights took some practice, but time brought her hands to near steadiness, and she felt, though still reluctantly, ready for her mission. She was to evade capture by Campbell's men and meet up with Otacon. Not too complicated, but how to go about it? Sunny took this opportunity to test out the codec system she had been given.

"Uncle Hal?"

"What is it, Sunny?"

"Once I evade capture, how can I find you?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, ok?"

"Alright."

"Do you have the stun knife? It should be in your command vest. It's a matte black metal knife."

"Yes, why?"

"If you should have to engage Campbell's men while they are within earshot of each other, you should use this knife instead of a firearm. It's much stealthier."

"But if I cut someone with it, either they'll yell because I've cut them, or won't because I've killed them!"

"No, Sunny. Just squeeze the trigger near close up to the blade."

Sunny did so and yelped, dropping the knife as a large arch of electricity bolted from the knife tip. She stood there, scared to touch the knife again for fear of a bad shock.

"It's ok, Sunny. The knife only conducts the shock from the blade, and besides, your OctoCamo suit is made of insulating rubber."

"I already said I won't kill anyone, Uncle Hal."

"I know that shock looks pretty bad, but it'll only knock out the enemy for about five minutes. I wouldn't worry about killing them, unless you shocked the heart directly."

"Ok. I'll try again," said Sunny, picking the knife up gingerly and emitting another shock. The arch lasted about two seconds, jumping to various metal objects nearby, then dissipated.

Just then, A screeching of tires sounded as three jeeps pulled up fifty yards from the Nomad aircraft. Fifteen soldiers stepped out, crouched in a tight huddle, and began speaking softly.

"Sunny," Otacon said suddenly through the codec, "Tap into their frequency and listen in. It should be…" he typed briefly, "142.63. Try it out." Sunny tuned the codec, and heard a static-laced conversation.

"One … team of five … and search … aircraft. If … should encounter target … eliminate on sight.

"Roger."

Sunny quickly peeked out the cargo hatch and saw five soldiers, all armed, approach. She felt overwhelmed, but tried to stay focused on what Uncle Hal had told her.

"Do not be seen, heard, or smelled. If you are, do not appear as the target. Play on the enemies' weaknesses. Use your environment to your advantage. Use technology they do not possess. Know your surroundings. Turn the hunters into the hunted."

Sunny realized then that she had the upper hand as long as she stayed inside the nomad. No one knew the craft better than her, except for maybe uncle Hal, and that gave her total control. She started by closing the hatch that the soldiers were trying to enter by. The huge flap rose slowly by hydraulics, spooking the approaching soldiers. They rushed forward, and one jumped up and grabbed the rising hatch. He tried to hoist himself up over the lip, but had his fingers crushed by the unrelenting rise of the door.

The fire team regrouped around the side of the Nomad, and began discussing their next move. As Sunny watched their motions from security camera monitors inside, Otacon contacted her again via codec.

"Sunny, you need to keep them from organizing another attack. Go over to the plane's main flight controls."

"Ok, I'm there."

"Now, apply the main brake. It's the big handle to your right with the orange grip. Pull it back towards you the whole way. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Now, which side is the team on?"

"The left side."

"Then turn on the left engine, full ahead. Over on your left there's a green handle which should be in the middle position. Push it all the way forward."

"Done."

The left jet engine, specially designed for instantaneous thrust, roared to life, blasting hot gases out into Campbell's unsuspecting fire team, who crouched, huddled right behind it. Sunny watched on the monitor in horror as they turned to see the origin of the sudden roar, only to be instantly burnt and blown back by the engine's hot exhaust. They were rocketed back to their jeeps, burnt to a crisp, coughing and sputtering until they finally gave into their wounds and died a minute later.

Sunny turned away, and berated Otacon with her unique mix of rage and sadness:

"How could you, Uncle Hal? I didn't want to kill anyone, and you said not to either, but I did."

"Sunny, you have to understand, I wasn't trying to kill them either. I just wanted to scare them away until you could find another way out of the Nomad. I know we weren't supposed to kill anyone, but sometimes it just works that way."

"But you weren't here, Uncle Hal! You weren't the one who pushed the button that killed five people!"

"Listen, you have every right to be mad at me, or sad, but that needs to wait until you're safe. If you stay here much longer, you'll need to kill even more people. I know you don't want that."

"Please, no."

"Alright. Now, go up into the kitchen, and get the Mk. IV. Then, plug its wire into my computer."

Sunny went up into the kitchen, and, looking under the box she stood on that morning making eggs, she found the Mk. IV. It was the same shape as Metal Gear Mk II and III, but this time a flat silver color. She brought the lifeless form down to Otacon's main computer, and plugged in its primary wire. The robot came to life, stretching in its usual comic fashion. Sunny smiled inwardly, admiring how much this little machine reflected its maker's personality. The LCD screen on the Mk. IV's side turned forward and flickered on, showing Otacon's determined face.

"Ok Sunny, let's get you out of here. Follow me."

"Right."

Sunny followed the Mk. IV, which motored under the stairs up to the kitchen. Sunny followed under, crawling on all fours, but couldn't see in the darkness.

"Uncle Hal, I can't see you any more."

"Hold on, I'll be right back," said Otacon, rolling back to the shelves, and coming back with what appeared to Sunny to be an eye patch. "Put this on your left eye, and turn the dial on the side. This is the Solid Eye, and can allow you to see in the dark, among other things."

Sunny engaged the Solid Eye, and put in in Infrared Night Vision Mode, and saw through the green static the Mk. IV rolling into a ventilation duct. Sunny followed, and ended up at a grate, looking down onto the tarmac. The Mk IV turned about to face Sunny, the screen providing at least a little light in the dark duct.

"Sunny, take out the Operator."

"No! I won't kill anyone again, Uncle Hal."

"This isn't to kill anyone, Sunny. I'm looking on the security system; the soldiers are planting explosives on the door now. When they blow the explosives, you're to fire the Operator at the four screws holding this vent in place."

"Won't the soldiers hear me if I fire the gun? I can't shoot it that fast."

"Reach into the far left pocket of the command vest. There should be a long tube in there that says 'barrel mount.' That's a suppressor for the Operator. It'll make the shot much less noticeable."

"Ok, I'll do it"

"Just one more thing, Sunny."

"What's that?"

"Remember to take the safety off, ok?"

"Ok."

The soldiers fell back to their jeeps, and one took up a megaphone, shouting to the nomad.

"Come out peacefully. We have the craft surrounded." No answer came.

"Alright, she's not getting it. Fire a warning shot."

One soldier stood upright, aimed, and fired an M82 directly into the belly of the Nomad. It entered, and ricocheted around the main cabin, but did not damage the low-sitting ventilation shaft. Sunny pulled the Operator's hammer back.

"Remember Sunny, the Operator is double action, so you only have to pull the hammer back on the first shot, ok?"

"Alright."

The soldiers fell back even farther, and readied the trigger for the C4.

"Five Four Three Two One Fire in the hole!"

The C4 explosive ignited, and blew in a very quick, dry thoom. The remaining ten soldiers rushed in to the refrain of "Go, Go, Go!" as the cargo door fell to the ground. What dramatic irony, though; what those ten thought to be the breaking hydraulic arms and snapping bolts were the suppressed shots of the Operator, and the final crash of the wrecked door, only cover as Sunny clutched the Mk IV tight and dropped to the ground.

"Alright, Sunny, you've made it outside. Now, before the soldiers come back out, lay prone on the ground."

Sunny went prone , and the OctoCamo instinctively acquired the worn light tan of the airfield pavement. Following Otacon's orders, Sunny moved quickly to the edge of a nearby hangar, then past a high chain link fence to the nearby forest. Once safe in the seclusion of the heavy trees, she lay down against a tree, and began quietly crying as the OctoCamo obliviously changed to match the bark color and texture.

"What's wrong, Sunny," asked Otacon as the Mk IV became visible once more and approached.

"I got away, but now I'm all alone. How am I supposed to find you?"

"Sunny, don't worry. You're right outside Fort Meade in central Maryland, and I'm in inner Baltimore. You'll see me in a few hours if you're fast, ok?"

"Ok. How do I get there?"

"Use your compass, and go west from here."

Sunny looked down on the command vest, and saw a small compass. She walked through the forest for about fifteen minutes, and came upon a small squat building.

"Uncle Hal, I'm outside the…National Cryptology Museum. What now?"

"Use your OctoCamo, and sneak up to the cars in the parking lot. Find one that has a GPS."

"There are a few. What am I looking for?"

"You're looking for one with Baltimore, MD as the next destination. Do any of them have that on the screen?"

"Only one does."

"Alright. Take out the lock picking kit from the back pocket of the command vest, and follow the instructions in it to pick the rear passenger's side door."

"… … … Done"

"Ok. Now, is it an SUV?"

"Yes."

"Right. Climb into the car, close and re-lock the door, then lay down in the way-back."

Sunny climbed in, covered up her lock picking job, and laid down in wait. After about one half hour, A father and son exited the museum, and headed for the car Sunny occupied.

"Sunny, you need to stay out of sight, and let me instruct you, ok?" Sunny nodded.

The father and son entered the car, talking about what they had seen in the museum.

"Did you have fun, Junior?"

"It was pretty cool I guess, but I think you got more into it."

"Well, it's not my fault I lived back when all that happened. I just hope you got something out of all this."

"Yeah, I guess all that twentieth century stuff has a sort of archaic appeal."

"I hope that doesn't make me archaic in your books."

"Not _that_ much, pops."

Sunny, having acquired the pattern of the automobile upholstery, stayed perfectly still as the invisible Mk IV briefed her.

"It's funny, Sunny; if it had been Snake instead of you, He would've just knocked out both of them and driven himself, but you've got a much better approach working. Now, when they get into Baltimore, they'll stop at a stoplight close to the convention center. It's the concrete and glass one I've shown you pictures of; you remember, back when I went to anime conventions?" Sunny thought, then nodded.

"When they stop near there," Otacon continued, "You will need to quietly open the back hatch and jump from the vehicle, then follow my instructions while carrying the Mk IV, until you're out of everyone's sight. Understand?" She nodded again, this time more surely.

The car sped down the highway, occasionally rocked by turbulence as the father and son feuded over the radio, wanting to listen to their Classic Rock and Heavy Metal stations, respectively. It continued into the east, until a complex of overpasses brought them within sight of the impressive Baltimore skyline. Otacon readied Sunny for the high adrenaline situation.

"Hold on, Sunny, they're about to stop. Wait for the son to switch the radio to his loud music, then pop the hatch. Ok, good." Sunny grabbed the Mk IV, and pulled up into a low crouch. The car ground to a halt at a red light, as expected.

"Ready, Sunny? Right. … Hold, Hold, ok … Go!"

Sunny pushed up the hatch, and leapt out. The father and son looked back, only to see their back hatch mysteriously opened. Sunny crouched low, and snuck quickly through the maze of stopped cars. The majority of drivers were too distracted, by other passengers, music, or phone calls, to notice the petit ninja infiltrating their city.

"Good, Sunny. Keep it up. Head for the right side of the street, and down that alley. Remember: sometimes it is more important to move through an area quickly than to be completely unseen."

Sunny kept up her pace, but looked to the Mk IV quizzically. "Wouldn't people be weirded out to see a girl in this outfit running through traffic?"

"You haven't been in Baltimore very long, Sunny. Very little surprises these people."

"Oh. Not even me?"

"It's getting close to convention season, they'd probably think you're cosplaying some game or anime character."

"What game character would wear this?"

"God only knows. But for now, stay in the alleys, and head southeast."

So Sunny followed the un-camouflaged Mk IV to an old brick building under a large sign for Domino™ sugar. Inside the abandoned building, Otacon used the Mk IV to direct Sunny around several clandestine traps, until they were eventually reunited in person.

**ends mission 1**


	3. Chapter 3: Grow Up

Sunny and Otacon embraced as they finally met deep within the late sugar refinery. Otacon made it a point to talk with her about other things than her upcoming missions, trying to keep her calm as best he could. They talked about what she had seen on the internet lately, what she thought of the Mk IV, and many other trivial topics.

Eventually, Sunny brought up the question, "Why has Campbell taken Snake's body, Uncle Hal?"

"Well," he began hesitantly, "You know about how Snake and Liquid were both clones of Big Boss?"

"Yes?"

"Apparently, When _the Patriots_ system fell through, Campbell saw the decline of war as we know it. He had, at least I assume, become dependent on the war economy despite his outward stance. It's bizarre, but I think he may want to clone more soldiers like Snake to gain military superiority, building an army as the rest dismantle."

"So what can we do?"

"Well, what Campbell doesn't know is that we now have the same technology he is trying to use. If we can get to his facility and stop his cloning of more soldiers, we can stamp out his campaign before it gets off the ground."

"Ok, but how?"

"Well, that's where you come in, Sunny. You, under my direction, will be taking out Campbell's operation."

"But I'm just a kid, not a soldier! I can't do this, not me."

"Sunny, did you care about Snake?"

"Yes, sniff, I … did."

"You cared enough to take those cigarettes out of his mouth every time he started smoking in the Nomad, didn't you?"

"It was a no-smoking plane, Uncle Hal, I had to."

"No, that's not it. Maybe you tried to keep it a secret, but you cared about Snake's health enough to assert yourself more than ever before. I'd never seen you so forceful."

"It's true, I did."

"So now what you have to do is protect his memory. Campbell doesn't care about that, he just wants to make money. So if you take this mission, You'd be doing Snake the biggest favor you ever will."

"O…OK. I'll do it."

"You know Sunny, no one's making you do this. I could pull some strings and hire an old PMC…"

"N-No! Snake almost died fighting PMC's, and I won't have you bringing them back! And, I won't let Campbell make his own either!"

"So, are you ready to make our next move?"

"Yes," she said, steeling herself.

"Our next move is to find where Campbell is hiding…"

"Oh, I know! I traced the transmission. He's in…"

"No, not hiding himself. Hiding his production operation. It would be a different place."

"Oh. There were some records in the Nomad. Would those tell us anything?"

"No, we need to find old records. He would probably think back to his early bases to avoid being traced back to there."

"Where can we find records that old?"

"I know you're not going to like this Sunny, but…"

"No…"

"Shadow Moses. I'm sorry, but my office has the oldest records on Campbell I can think of. Will you go?"

"As long as you'll be guiding me."

"Of course."

Sunny and Otacon, in their effort to procure transport to Shadow Moses, snuck back into Fort Meade, seeking a helicopter or small plane. They approached the fence Sunny had passed over to exit, and looked out onto the airstrip. A small osprey plane, the vertical take-off and landing type, sat 500 yards off.

"Sunny, use the knife to cut a hole in the fence this time."

"Why, Uncle Hal? Can't you climb the fence like this," she said, jumping halfway up the fence and clinging.

"No, Sunny. Your OctoCamo suit doubles as a muscle suit. Your abilities are being enhanced. I can't move like that anyway."

"Ok, I'm coming down." Sunny dropped down and crouched, using the knife's serrated back edge to slice through the aging chain link fence. The two saboteurs crept to the side of a hangar, having covered half the distance to the osprey.

"Sunny, go prone and acquire the tarmac color again, then sneak over to the osprey."

"Right." She snuck over on the ground, and hopped inside the open back of the plane. "Uncle Hal," she called over the codec, "How will you get across? You have no OctoCamo.

"Don't worry Sunny. I need you to look across the tarmac and scan for any people looking our way. Use the binocular function on your Solid Eye."

Sunny turned the Solid Eye on again, and looked across the tarmac with considerable zoom. "There's a group of people getting into a small helicopter downrange, but none of them are looking this way. The people in the tower are all directing the helicopter pilots, so I think you can get across without being seen."

Otacon held on tight to his laptop, and bolted as fast as his unconditioned body would allow. Sure, he had basic training, but that was so long ago. The physical readiness had faded, and only fond memories of his Training Instructor's shouting remained. Eventually, he made it to the osprey, and ran straight to the helm.

"Our only chance of getting out of here is to take off at the same time as the helicopter, so the air traffic control is distracted. Sunny, you had better…" Otacon almost told Sunny to buckle in, but something caught his eye. The cargo hatch remained open, and Sunny, holding onto a safety strap on the wall, stood at the rear gazing out as they took off. Something deep inside Otacon's mind registered that as something Snake would often do, and he let her go for nostalgia's sake. "You're really growing up, Sunny," he remarked to nobody.

Sunny continued her ten mile stare even once the hatch had closed fully. She was entranced, deep in thought about the upcoming mission. Would she have to kill again? If it came to that, how would she react? Those questions faded as the thought of Campbell using Snake's body for power and profit filled her mind. Doesn't he have any respect? Who was he to interfere with the dead? Hadn't Snake already won enough battles for him?

"Is something wrong, Sunny?"

"I'll put a stop to him, even if it means killing him. I'll stop him, d-damnit."

"Sunny…"

"Oh, I'm … I'm sorry."


	4. Chapter 4: Self Control

Sunny, in stark contrast to her earlier mature promises of vengeance, lay asleep in a bunk built into the wall of the osprey. She had kept up her stare and thought for almost an hour, which surprised Otacon. She was only a child, but the stress of the impending mission must have forced her into maturity staggeringly quickly. This sudden maturity reminded Otacon in a disturbing way of Snake's accelerated aging. Maybe she would be Snake's equal someday…

Otacon brought the osprey into vertical landing mode, having reached Shadow Moses once again. He brought the propellers to a full stop, and swiveled around in his seat. Sunny still lay asleep in her bunk. Otacon stood up, and walked over to wake her. As he reached out to wake her with a gentle nudge, Sunny suddenly rolled over, aiming down the sights of the Mk II pistol right at Otacon's chest.

"Sunny, what are you doing?"

"Oh … sorry. I was dreaming. You surprised me, Uncle Hal."

"That's ok, Sunny. You … still have the safety on."

"I was afraid to sleep without the safety on."

"That's fine. Here, take this."

"What's in the box, Uncle Hal?"

"Just some food. It's ready to eat, so dig in. When you're done, we'll begin the mission."

Sunny ate the Ration quickly, tearing through every item hungrily. This made Otacon chuckle to himself: 'These rations are designed diversely for soldiers' complete nutrition, but they're always picky eaters. They throw out the things they don't like. In this way at least, Sunny is superior to your average soldier.'

Once she had finished eating, Sunny re-equipped her command vest and weapons. Otacon made final adjustments and booted up the Mk IV. It stretched and camouflaged itself, taking its place behind Sunny as she disembarked the osprey for the Shadow Moses hangar. Otacon's voice, sans high frequency tones, called out.

"Sunny! Turn around. I've got something for you." Sunny spun about, and saw the Mk IV standing there, with a deep blue bandana wrapped around the screen. "Sunny, when Snake promised to never fight again, he gave me this. He told me to give it to you, to apologize for not being able to see you again. Take it, put it on if you like."

Sunny took up her new token of Snake's memory, and tied it tight across her pale forehead.

"It smells… like Snake…"

She looked like Snake more than ever: dark blue OctoCamo, bandana blowing in the snowy wind, look of total resolve. She crouched down and hugged the Mk IV, ruining and accenting the moment with her remaining innocence: "Thanks, Uncle Hal!"

Sunny, remembering the mission at hand, turned ran quickly through the blizzard into the cracked hangar door. Sunny strafed to one side and crouched by a crate, waiting for Otacon's instructions.

"There shouldn't be any more enemies in here, but Campbell may have anticipated us and had his men set up traps. Use the Infrared Night Vision on the Solid Eye to make sure."

"I don't see anything in this room. Which door are we using?"

"Go up the stairs to your left and head for the elevator door. I'll try to reactivate back-up power."

After a minute or so the area around the elevator became saturated with a low hum, and the controls to the right of the door glowed faintly. Sunny heard the elevator creak as it ascended from the basement levels, and opened to meet her. She stepped inside, and the Mk IV pushed the B2 button. The doors closed and brighter lights illuminated the elevator cab. Sunny was surprised to see deep gashes and pits in the floor.

"Don't worry, Sunny," assured the Mk IV. "When Snake was here last, a Gekko used this elevator to ambush us while I was unlocking the next door. They should all have been de-activated when the Patriot system fell through, so don't worry about that."

"Oh, A-Alright…"

The elevator reached B2, and opened to reveal a long, metallic hallway. Sunny crept through, Operator held close by her right ear, though only out of extra caution. Otacon had reassured her no enemies would attack; any she did see would be useless junk without the System or PMC's controlling them. She rounded a corner, and could barely suppress her cry as she saw a Gekko splayed out on the floor. Otacon told her this Gekko had been shocked to death by the floor current last time, but Sunny still quivered as she climbed over the things oddly soft, flesh-like legs into Otacon's office.

"Ok, Sunny. Do you see my desk? It should be right under some Sci-Fi anime posters."

"Yes. Is the file in your desk, or on your computer?"

"Believe it or not, It's an old typed text document in the left desk drawer. Look for 'C,' then find 'Campbell.'"

"Got it. Should I read it to you now?"

"No time, Sunny. I'm picking up radar signatures coming our way fast. Remember when I thought Campbell might have come to secure the place with traps? I think we may have beaten him to it."

"So what should I do?"

"You need to get back topside fast, before they get here. Put the file in the back pocket of the command vest, and bring it out of there. Unfortunately, I need to move the osprey out to a snowfield to the southeast of here. It's where I dropped Snake off last time. I'll mark it on your map, but hurry, ok?"

"Roger."

Otacon terminated his transmission, and started the osprey's take-off. His mind did a small double-take: "Did she say 'roger?" Sunny bolted out of the office, vaulted over the Gekko in one bound, and boarded the Elevator. Otacon warned her to acquire the color of the warehouse wall when she got out; Campbell's men might be waiting for her. Sunny drew the Operator, then rethought and drew the Mk II pistol instead. She wasn't about to kill again; anesthesia would be good enough for now. She exited the elevator at ground level, and pressed her back to the wall, crouching low. She saw below a small contingent of enemy soldiers. They reminded Sunny of the frog soldier figure Snake had given her, except these looked masculine.

Then, from behind a stack of crates, and well protected by his squad, emerged the familiar face of Colonel Campbell. He had aged rather badly, and wore a thick parka, but his image was unmistakable. That was the face Sunny raged against in her thoughts. She quickly called Otacon via codec, being out of earshot.

"_Uncle Hal, I see him._"

"It's Campbell alright. Just be -- Sunny, what are you doing!?"

"_I'm completing the mission_," she whispered, with the Operator drawn and well aimed at Campbell's head.

"If you shoot, it doesn't matter how suppressed the Operator is. Those soldiers will find you, and they will kill you. Besides, our mission is gather information _only_, do you understand?"

"_But it would be so easy!_"

"Sneak around the ramp, and exit the hangar while avoiding _any_ contact with the enemy, ok?"

"_Alright."_

Sunny holstered the Operator, and edged around to the edge of the hangar door. Otacon warned her that she must wait for the exact moment, because she was totally visible when crossing from the dark hangar to the bright snow. She waited, completely still, as Campbell told his guard about Snake's maneuvers through the area earlier:

"…So basically, he was running around these crates again and again, trying to distract the Gekko while this little defenseless robot picked the lock on the door over there. He moved pretty well for a burnt out old man."

Sunny waited until the enemy was climbing the stairs to the elevator, then performed an amazing half SWAT-turn to dive roll maneuver, escaping flawlessly. Otacon, waiting at the osprey's helm with his laptop, was rightly wowed. 'She must have seen that in one of my anime,' he laughed to himself.

Running full steam through the blizzard, Sunny crossed the side of the heliport, turned left, and came around a small cliff face to an open field, where Otacon waited in the open back. She ran up into his arms as she had the last time, and after a minute, Otacon moved back into the craft to take off once again.

"Where are we going, Uncle Hal?"

"We're going to find someone who knew Snake from the old days."

"Who's that?"

"Meryl. Meryl Silverburgh."


	5. Chapter 5: Old Friend

Sunny and Otacon flew low, barely clearing the treetops in order to slip under any possible radar signatures. The osprey left the arctic weather behind, seeking more tropical climates.

"So where is Meryl now, Uncle Hal?"

"She's … on her … honeymoon. With Johnny."

"Oh, you mean Akiba?"

"Please don't call him that…"

"Ok."

After another few hours of flight, Otacon set the osprey down on a bare airstrip in the dead of night. The osprey was low on fuel, and Sunny became acquainted with a new form of espionage. She watched from the shadows as Otacon impersonated someone with clearance to use the airfield's fuel supply. He concluded the transaction without incident, and they soon had enough fuel to safely reach their destination and return. On their way to meet Meryl once more, Sunny asked Otacon why they were going to meet her.

"Well, you know by now that you are basically becoming the same type of operative as Snake, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, in order for you to be fully trained in his technique, you need to see someone who worked alongside him, back in the old days."

"She knew him from back then?"

"Yeah. She was so in awe of his power, she found herself falling in love with him, but Snake rejected her…"

"How could he be so mean?"

"It was different for him back then; there was only the next mission."

"Oh… I won't get like that, will I?'

"No. Not training with Meryl, anyway. She's probably settled down a little now, and you might just trigger that motherly instinct in her."

The osprey came upon its destination. A small island, no larger than a few acres, drew nearer. Otacon set the osprey to land directly on the beach, and brought the plane down slowly. A couple emerged from their small cottage nearby, to see the small plane invade their otherwise complete seclusion. The rear hatch opened, and Sunny eagerly jumped the few feet from the craft to the sand below. The propellers kicked up a massive cloud of sand, through which the couple could only make out a silhouette. They saw a figure, lean and clad in a skin-tight garment with flowing bandana and short hair, approach slowly through the sand.

"Snake," gasped a familiar voice. "It can't be…"

Sunny emerged from the dust, quite underwhelming given Meryl's original guess. She stood just out of the churning cloud, as the propeller noise faded and Otacon emerged as well, placing one hand on Sunny's shoulder and the other at his hip, waiting for the newlyweds to fully drink in their amazing entrance.

"That was…_awesome_!" exclaimed Johnny, looking to Meryl for support.

"I guess, but you really shouldn't get people's hopes up like that, Doctor."

"You can call me Otacon."

Meryl eyed Otacon quizzically, then looked to Sunny. "Who's the kid?"

"You don't remember? She was there when you two were married."

"Oh yeah. Hardly recognize you anymore. So, why's she got the Snakeskin on?"

"You mean the OctoCamo? That's…that's why we're here."

Meryl eyed Otacon quizzically again, until Johnny finally suggested they head inside. Inside, Otacon told the two about Campbell's plan, at which point Meryl became deeply angry.

"I can't believe I trusted him. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the old man would try to get his economy going again."

"I just can't imagine using Snake's body for cloning like this," Johnny pondered.

"Meryl, could I speak to you in private," asked Otacon.

"Sure." They cast sideways glances; Sunny picked up nonverbal cue and left the two of them alone.

"That mean's you too, Johnny," growled Meryl. Johnny finally got the hint, and followed Sunny out.

While Meryl and Otacon discussed training and things to come, Johnny tried his best to occupy time with Sunny.

"So Sunny, can you show me how the, um… what's it, OptoCamo works?"

"Oh, you mean the OctoCamo? Sure. You just press against something," she said, backing up to the cottage wall, "and it turns that color. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah. That must be useful. Where did Otacon get the idea?"

"Uncle Hal told me that he made up the idea himself…"

"Oh, right."

"But then he said that he found it somewhere on the internet; he just needed to do some searching."

"Hmmm…"

Meryl poked her head out from the doorway, and smiled; Johnny was having so much fun with Sunny… He'd make a great father. She took Otacon outside, and the four sat up on the Osprey's wings as the sun set. It was short but intense, as though the sun had been holding out beauty all day, but now sought to use it all up before night took the stage. Sunny slept by the cottage that night, in a hammock under the porch, allowing herself to really relax in the cool tropical night.

Peaceful Sleep… Then-

"You shouldn't have let your guard down, kid. CLICK

Sunny found herself unable to move for fear as she lay in the hammock, the muzzle of Meryl's Desert Eagle Magnum blocking most of her view.

"I-I'm sorry. Please don't shoot…"

"I already did, kid. It just wasn't loaded this time. Now get up."

Meryl moved off and Otacon approached, a sad smile on his face. "I know it's a little scary," he said, "but when you're done here, I know you'll be ready for this mission, ok?"

"You won't leave me here, will you?"

"No, but she made me promise not to interfere with your training."

"Ok, Uncle Hal."

"Now go, before she points that thing at you again."

Sunny followed Meryl into the tropical forest behind the cottage. Meryl taught Sunny every maneuver she had seen Snake execute on the battlefield, and added her own personal skillset to the mix.

She taught Sunny how to reload faster by palming one magazine while taking the current one out, how to uncock a hammer, how to envision a target closer than it really is. She realized, however, that firearms were by no means her forte.

Through a week of training, eating, and sleeping in that small forest, Sunny learned the art of tactical operations under Meryl's strict guidance. Early in the morning, she lay sleeping atop a large fallen tree trunk, snoring slightly. Then-

"You shouldn't have let your guard d- OWW!" Sunny cried out as Meryl twisted the Operator back towards its owner, unloading the magazine and engaging the safety.

"Not bad, kid."

"They'd have to get up really early to catch you off guard, wouldn't they," Sunny marveled, the Operator still pointed at her.

"You'd have to stay up all night."

"I did…"

The two emerged from the jungle later that morning, to find Johnny in the surf fishing and Otacon nearby on his laptop with the Mk IV on a piece of cardboard.

"So, what have you two been doing," asked Meryl.

"I," said Johnny victoriously, pointing to a bucket nearby, "have caught lunch."

"And I," added Otacon proudly, pointing to the Mk IV, "have taught the Mk IV to break-dance." He gave his laptop a few keystrokes, and the Mk IV began undulating and spinning on its cardboard dance floor.

After eating one last meal with Meryl and Johnny, Sunny and Otacon boarded the osprey and set off for Baltimore, to study the file Sunny had procured on Shadow Moses and formulate their next mission. As they lifted off, Sunny once again stood at the open back hatch, bandana whipping about in the propeller's currents. This time, she beamed fully, waving to the newlyweds with her free hand until they were out of sight, then sighed and let Otacon close the door for the trip.


	6. Chapter 6: Get Ready

Sunny and Otacon regrouped at the old Domino™ sugar refinery back in Baltimore, where a small base had been set up. The rickety catwalks and rusted machinery gave Sunny chills, reminding her of a review of an old twentieth century video game she had read on the net, but that was a doll factory, not a sugar plant.

Sunny led the way this time, using the Solid Eye to avoid traps. She was uneasy about making her new residence here; it was a far cry from the island cabana she had stayed at last. Her fears were dispelled though, as Otacon led her through a well concealed door behind an old press machine. Inside, a low glow illuminated a small living area, with several chairs, a table, and beds in the corner.

"Uncle Hal, where did this come from?"

"When you were on your way, I figured you wouldn't want to live out in that dark factory floor, so I put together this room with some spare money."

"Where'd you get the money? You told me you always blew your pay on anime things."

"Well Sunny, … it was the money that Snake left us when he… died."

"Oh…"

"There's still enough left over to keep us in food for quite a while, at least until we complete the mission."

Sunny then pulled out Campbell's file from the command vest. Otacon flipped through it, and found what he was looking for: all posts Campbell had occupied during his military service. Otacon started to list the bases, from oldest to newest, when a static came over the large monitor on the chamber wall. The static cleared slowly, and Campbell's face took control of the screen.

"Doctor," began Campbell, voice biting, "Despite your many intrusions, I was able to complete production of my new combat unit."

"You mean the…"

"Snakeskin Unit."

While this conversation played out, Sunny stayed pressed against the opposite wall, OctoCamo engaged, hoping that Campbell would not notice her. Meryl had told her that the worst case scenario at this point would be for Campbell to realize that someone else had been trained and equipped like Snake.

"But Naomi found that Snake could not be cloned," tested Otacon, dumbfounded that Campbell had found a way to clone more soldiers from Snake's body.

"True… We did try cloning with severe…pitfalls. All the clones died shortly after creation, so we took a page out of Liquid's book."

"You what?"

"Luckily, gravediggers will do almost anything for an old military officer. Sorry son, but we need this body exhumed. We'll be putting it in a different Cemetery. Here's the paperwork from the family and military, so start digging…' It was too easy. Once we got the body, It was simply a matter of putting it on ice and separating it…"

"But Snake's body was still full of FOXDIE; won't all your composite soldiers just die eventually?"

"We were able to develop director Nanomachines that led FOXDIE out of the limb to be separated, as if there were another uninfected body part for the virus to infect. Once the desired limb was clear of the virus, we hacked it off and attached it to an already proficient soldier."

"But how could an arm or leg improve a soldier that much?"

"It worked for Liquid Ocelot, and it's worked brilliantly thus far. Their allegiance is mine, but their consciousness is all Snake. Observe…"

A soldier walked behind Campbell's chair, a man in full combat gear. Campbell motioned to him, and the soldier removed his facemask and helmet, revealing Old Snake's face, exactly as Otacon had last seen it. The soldier with Snake's face looked into the monitor. "Otacon," it said, possessing half of Snake's raspy voice. Campbell retook the screen, saying, "This is my top of the line model, using Snake's head. The others are…less impressive, and bear only slight resemblance to him, but that will change with time…"

The transmission terminated, and Sunny finally felt safe to exhale. It had been all she could do to keep composure as she listened to Campbell's horror story. She slumped down against the wall as Otacon turned to her.

"I didn't want for you to find out this way…"

"You didn't even know."

"I had sent probes like the Mk IV around to spy on Campbell, but I couldn't gain any specifics."

"But it's too late now. We can't shut down the operation if it's already done…"

"I think you know now what we have to do."

"I have to kill the Snakeskin unit."

"Yes. In that, we can eliminate Campbell's plan, and get Snake's body back."

"I'm going to have to kill them…"

"Unlike before, when the mission was espionage, it's totally worth it."

Sunny rested as Otacon worked at his computer station, searching for another old acquaintance, with whom he had had the pleasure of dealing with personally while Snake was on his missions: Drebin 893. Luckily, Otacon had placed a GPS tracker on the "WE HAVE YOURS" vehicle. It was now stationed unbelievably close, down by the inner harbor of Baltimore only a few miles away. Otacon set the factory's traps and let himself rest, prepared for the next day.

0600 the next morning, Otacon woke Sunny and handed her some regular clothes, like the ones she had worn in the Nomad.

"Should I change into these, Uncle Hal?"

"No, just put it on over the OctoCamo. There's no telling if you might need to disappear while we're out today."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to get you ready for the mission."

"How?"

"You remember Drebin?"

"The man you were drinking with after Meryl's wedding?"

"That's right. He promised me he'd keep some weapons in stock for just such an emergency."

Otacon and Sunny walked through the streets of Baltimore hand in hand, looking very much like father and daughter. They passed other industrial buildings, office blocks, hotels, and a mall on their way to the harbor; this was all so foreign to Sunny, she looked about in wonder as they walked. They approached the harbor while the sun rose over the skyline. The shadows receded, and on the bricks right up by the water's edge sat a large armored vehicle with the words "WE HAVE YOURS" written in large friendly letters on the side. Drebin 893, suave as ever, emerged from within, and greeted the pair with a courteous bow.

"What can we do for you, Doctor?"

"Please, call me Otacon."

"Sure. So, why have you come to us?"

"Well Drebin, do you still have that weapon cache we arranged a while back?"

"Right down to the last grenade, my friend," he assured as he pulled a frag grenade from behind his knee. Sunny quickly drew the Operator and aimed it right at Drebin, not unlike Snake in his first encounter with the dealer.

"Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing," said Drebin, "I won't hurt you." He pulled out a white handkerchief and, after draping it over the grenade, lifted it to reveal a bright red apple. Sunny's jaw dropped, and a look of wonder took her face as she holstered the Operator. She had heard of people who did things like that, but never seen one in person. Drebin approached, and handed Sunny the apple for examination. She realized that she hadn't eaten that morning, and brought up the apple to take a bite.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," whispered Otacon as Drebin walked back to the vehicle. "He's been friendly so far, but I still don't completely trust him."

"If you say so, Uncle Hal."

"Hey now you two, come on in. We've got everything you need and more," said Drebin, head poking out from the top hatch of the WHY vehicle. Sunny and Otacon proceeded inside, and sat next to Drebin. He took down various handguns from the shelves, and gave some specs on each.

"The Mk 23, from Heckler & Koch industries. .45 ACP, double-action, 12 shots, under barrel rail system, and suppressor-ready. Give it a squeeze, Otacon."

"Oh no, this isn't for me, this is for her," he said, motioning to Sunny.

"Well then, you try it out, Sunny."

Sunny took the Ml 23, empty, disengaged the safety, checked the magazine and chamber, and squeezed the trigger. A light click sounded as the hammer dropped, and Sunny looked the firearm over one more time.

"It's pretty good, but the trigger's a little too loose."

"Alright then, lets see what else we got… Here we go."

"Oh, that looks like," marveled Sunny as Drebin pulled out the largest handgun in his arsenal.

"That's right, little lady. The pride and joy of Israel Military Industries, the Desert Eagle. Available in.357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and of course, .50 Action Express. 7 shots, double-action, high trigger pressure, and ambidextrous safety. For you, the .357 Magnum would be best."

"Can it…be suppressed?" Sunny asked hesitantly.

"Suppressed? The Desert Eagle? You want your M82 suppressed while I'm at it?"

"That would be nice, what's an M82?"

"Step outside."

Sunny and Otacon followed Drebin outside, and climbed the ladder onto the top of the vehicle. Drebin pressed a button, and controls rose from the roof to his fingertips. He maneuvered the vehicle backwards, and sped into the harbor. The vehicle sank down slightly, but stayed miraculously afloat. After driving out into the harbor proper, Drebin reached down into the vehicle and hoisted out the M82, an intimidating .50 caliber Sniper Rifle. He gave it to Sunny, who promptly crumpled under its intense weight. Drebin considered, and stored the M82, bringing out a similar rifle.

"The M107. Bigger number, smaller frame. Manufactured by Barrett Arms. .50 caliber anti-material sniper platform. Effective range: 2000 meters. Try this one on for size."

Sunny took the large rifle, and, lying prone on the vehicle roof, aimed down the scope while Otacon and Drebin talked business.

"So has the M107 been sighted and properly scoped?"

"Meticulously. It's ready to go whenever."

"And the USP?"

"Cleaned and packaged. Here you go."

Sunny removed and checked the magazine, and found it to be full. She pulled the slide back with some difficulty, and there was a more substantial click as a new .50 cal bullet slid into place. The trigger pulled tightly but smoothly under fair finger pressure. Drebin crouched by Sunny, asking her what she thought.

"I really can't tell without firing it, but I'm afraid to."

"Never mind, little lady. I'll show you if you like."

Drebin laid prone, took the M107, and scrutinized over a distant target: a cargo container hung suspended by crane cable at a range of over 500 meters. Drebin handed Otacon binoculars, and Sunny zoomed in with the Solid Eye.

"Watch closely, you two."

The M107 fired with a low punching sound, rather than the scary crack Sunny was anticipating, and a split second later, a small twang indicated the bullet had found its mark.

"Effective up to 2000 meters against personnel, soft skinned vehicles, light armor, personnel through soft skinned vehicles and light armor, and many more."

Another twang echoed through the quiet harbor, and the container fell free to the water below with an amazing plume of water.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Sure, Drebin. This'll be fine. She'll just need some reserve ammunition, and a pouch for M107 magazines to go on the vest."

"What'll she be sniping anyway?"

"Just personnel, I hope."

Sunny picked up the Mk 23, and held it up next to the Operator. The Operator was larger, and had a heavier feel, but the Mk 23's sights were superior, and the compact design was appealing.

"Drebin," she asked, "I really like the Mk 23, but the trigger is still sort of wobbly. Could you tighten it?"

"Now that's very perceptive of you, but it's not included in the little deal we had worked out."

"Could I maybe trade you the Operator?"

"Let me have a look… .45 ACP, double-action, 8 shots, but where's the ID chip?"

"It predates the implementation of the System," Otacon said.

"This is…unbelievable. Where did you find this?"

"A museum of twentieth century military weaponry."

"Figures. But yeah, this'll do. Hell, I'll tighten up a brand new one. Matte-Black or Chrome slide?"

"Better do matte-black."

"Keep it on the DL, I get it."

Sunny and Otacon waited on the roof while Drebin tuned up a brand new Mk 23 and passed it up. He also passed up a few suppressors for the new handgun, and spare magazines for both the handgun and M107. Sunny carried the Mk 23 and ammo, while Otacon carried the well wrapped M107. After returning to the factory, Sunny had plenty of time to practice with both weapons, until she was a decent shot with the Mk 23, but, to her surprise, a deadly sniper.


	7. Chapter 7: One Shot

Sunny came back into the factory one evening, (she had been practicing her sniping on the rooftops as instructed,) to find a disquieting sight: Otacon sat at his computers as usual, but was bent over, head on the desk, muffled heavy breathing emanating from his covered face.

"What's the matter, Uncle Hal?" Otacon nearly fell out of his chair, but was saved by the armrest; Sunny had snuck up on him yet again.

"Nothing," he said, removing his glasses and wiping his eyes. 'Nothing,' he thought to himself. 'It's a pretty depressing nothing at that. The ongoing mourning of my late best friend is a window through which I'm watching myself force the closest thing I'll ever have to a daughter to become a killing machine… but I guess it's easier to say "nothing" to her face. At least for now.'

"Oh, ok. I finished practicing like you told me to."

"How'd you do?"

"Well, let's see… I was within two millimeters at 250 yards, 3 at 500, and under 5 at 1000 and farther."

"That's sniff that's fine for today. Why don't you get some rest. Oh, and I set out an MRE ration for you over by your bed."

"Thanks, Uncle Hal," she said, rushing over and opening her ration.

'I guess anything tastes amazing to her compared to nothing but eggs,' Otacon mused, turning back to his computers.

2000 that night, (8pm for you civilians,) Otacon was still awake at his station, searching security footage and listening through chatter from probable locations for the Snakeskin Unit. The best they could do at this point was to find them first. Suddenly, while looking over airport security camera feeds (lots of these) he noticed something odd. A man was lying down on a bench seat at concourse gate C12 of Baltimore Washington International. Now this would not normally be alarming, but this man had the look of a soldier about him, and his rolled up sleeves revealed something: a seam below his shoulder where an arm had been grafted to his body. Otacon zoomed in, and saw the arm to be older, slightly atrophied. A close-up of the face cinched it: swept back brown hair with streaks of grey and a moustache to match. This was one of the Snakeskin troopers. "But why would he be at an airport, off guard?"

A transmission came through on the monitor to Otacon's left, and appeared to be from Rosemary.

"Hal, I'm so glad I got through to you."

"Rosemary, this is certainly…unexpected."

"Jack is recovered now, and he wants to know what happened to Snake. Can you come and tell him?"

"I suppose I could tell him whatever I can. Put him on."

"That's the thing. He doesn't want to do this over the Codec. He's worried someone else would hear. He really wants to see you in person, and has transportation arranged, if you decide to come."

"What kind of transportation?"

"Well, he was able to gather that you're somewhere in Maryland, so he arranged a seat to us from BWI airport tonight."

"Sure, I'll come see him. What gate is the flight leaving from?"

"Hold on…C12. It leaves in 4 hours, so I'll hope to see you soon."

"Alright. Take care."

It was just as Otacon had expected. An oddly low frequency codec, cryptic instructions and motive, an exact match to where he'd seen the Snakeskin trooper; this was a trap set by Campbell and his people, whoever they were. "Just double-check that our guy's still there…Right!"

Sunny, asleep through the whole transmission, was woken suddenly by Otacon's exclamation.

"What's going on, Uncle Hal? What time is it?"

"It's about 8:30, but get up. It's time for the next part of the mission."

"Can't it wait 'til morning?"

"Afraid not, now get your OctoCamo on, and something overtop. We're going to the Airport."

Sunny and Otacon walked to the nearest busy street corner, and hailed a cab. (Well, Otacon hailed a cab; Sunny just laughed to herself while her Uncle waved his hands around like crazy.) Once at the airport, Otacon unpacked the trunk, taking out one small piece of luggage and a long, cylindrical parcel. The two walked through the first leg of the airport, past the checked-bag counter, and approached the line for security checks.

"Uncle Hal," Sunny whispered, "This stuff will never get through security, no matter who you pretend to be."

"Don't worry Sunny, I have a plan; a plan and some detailed blueprints. Follow my lead."

As the line advanced, Otacon led Sunny into a small, low-lit room designed for meditation and prayer. Otacon explained that this would be their temporary base of operations, locked the door, and opened his laptop, displaying a 3d layout.

"There are two ventilation ducts in along the wall in this room. One leads past security and into the concourse. You would wait until the coast is clear, exit the duct, and approach gate C12, where the Snakeskin trooper, among other people, will be waiting. You would be limited in your weapon choice, and have only one shot to take out the trooper before he discovers you and engages. Escape would be tricky, even if you did make the kill, as everyone would notice the shot, despite the suppressor."

"What's the other option?"

"The only other viable plan is to use the other duct, which empties out onto the tarmac outside. From there, you would sneak across the tarmac to concourse B, which is directly across from concourse C. Then, exterior stairs would take you up to a small tower on top of concourse B, from which you would proceed to engage the Snakeskin trooper with the M107. Once again, you only get one shot before he notices you, but in this case he would most likely flee the scene, and we would start the search for him all over."

"Are those the only options?"

"The only ones that include taking only the life we need."

"Then I guess I choose the second option, with the sniping. What would the range be?"

"About 600 yards, give or take 15 or so."

"Alright."

Sunny quickly shed her outer clothing to reveal the OctoCamo underneath, and took the command vest from Otacon's luggage. She holstered the custom Mk 23 by force of habit, and stored only one magazine for the M107. Hopefully, she wouldn't need the whole thing. She then used a wrench Otacon gave her to open the grates on the ducts, and climbed in. She heard a light hum, and the Mk IV pulled up beside her in the wide duct.

"Since we're not going through the concourse, I'll be able to send the Mk IV with you. Just promise to help me up the stairs."

"Ok, let's go," said Sunny, beginning her trek through the ventilation ducts.

About three minutes of uneventful crawling later, Sunny wrenched open a grate in the floor of the duct, and lowered herself down gracefully, just as Meryl had trained her, until she let go and dropped five more feet onto the tarmac below. She gave a quiet signal, and the Mk IV rolled out of the opening into Sunny's waiting arms. The Mk IV camouflaged itself, and Sunny set it down. She laid prone against the tarmac to acquire its color and texture, then pulled up to a crouch, and snuck across the taxiing area between concourses C and B. With C at her back and B in sight, Sunny listened to Otacon's instructions for avoiding the planes moving about. With help, she anticipated their paths, waited for the right moment, and finally bolted across the tarmac while staying low until she reached the wall of concourse B. She pressed against the wall, and the Mk IV soon joined her after a slightly slower crossing. She then followed directions to a flight of stairs, which she climbed quietly, making sure no one was occupying them.

Once she reached the roof, Sunny relaxed slightly, and paused momentarily to behold the sights of the airport's scenery. It was mind-blowing for her to imagine. Every one of the planes taking off, landing, and taxiing had many people on board, and each of those people had a complex life of their own, a story which only briefly involved this airport. To Sunny, those that thought the world small had suddenly become very wrong.

An odd prodding roused Sunny from her trance: the Mk IV poked her leg with its tentacle-like arm while Otacon's fuzzy voice told her to get moving. She walked quickly over to a sort of tower atop the concourse, a protrusion from which the interior stairs reached the roof, with some service rooms above. Sunny climbed a ladder up the two additional stories until she reached the real top of the concourse. As per Otacon's instruction, She used the wrench one last time to detach and hoist up the ladder onto the tower roof, as to stop anyone from sneaking up while she was sniping.

"Alright Sunny, this is it. Unwrap the M107." Sunny took the mummified rifle from her back, and unraveled its bandages, then set it up for firing. She dug the bipod arms below the barrel into the tightly packed gravel roof, and loaded the magazine, pulling back the slide to bring her first (and hopefully only) round into the rifle's chamber. She took a prone stance again, and adjusted the scope for around 600 meters.

"Are you ready, Sunny? Do you see him?"

"Yes. He's lying down on a bench seat at gate…C12. He matches the picture you've got on the Mk IV's screen."

"Ready for final checks before the shot?"

"Yes." Sunny prepared for the standard sniping checks

"Ok, Range: 585 meters, negligible wind. Whenever you're ready, Sunny"

"Alright. Distance, wind speed, wind direction check."

"Green li-Wait! He's moving! Hold on, I'm tracking. Don't shoot, Sunny, Wait it out. I'll find out where he's going."

Sunny waited for 10 minutes while Otacon's face on the Mk Iv's screen scrutinized his laptop monitor. He watched security feeds, following the trooper through the airport.

"Uncle Hal, I see something, I think I know where he's going!"

"How?"

"The display below C12 says: flight pattern changed; move to gate D1."

"Hold on…D1...Lock! I got him! You were right, He's standing right at the window of gate D1. … Sunny, aim over to your left. You should be able to see the tip of concourse D to the left of C."

"I can… At the tip… I see him! But…that's got to be at least twice as far! I've got to switch scopes now!"

"Alright, let me know when you're set."

"… … ready."

"Now Sunny, shooting at this range is completely different. The wind will have much more of an effect on the bullet."

"But there is no wind, Uncle Hal."

"There's one more thing. At this distance, you need to take into consideration that, by the time your bullet arrives at the target, the Earth will have rotated enough to affect your shot."

"How can I compensate for that?"

"You're shooting directly south, so you'll have to aim ever so slightly to the left in order to hit the mark dead on."

"But it's so weird not aiming at the target directly."

"Just trust me, and trust yourself. Ready for final checks?"

"Yes."

"Range: 1350 meters, negligible wind."

"Distance, wind speed, wind direction, check."

"Green light. Take the shot."

Sunny inhaled deeply and let half out, steadying her aim as Otacon had taught her. The scope gave her just enough magnification to identify her target, still standing, looking out the window. He stood with arms crossed over his chest, steady as a rock, as if entranced by the lights flashing in the night sky outside.

"Sunny, you'll need to shoot for the head to ensure a positive kill."

The whine of hundreds of aircraft faded into the distance as an intense calm took Sunny's mind. She steadied the crosshairs, aimed at the trooper's head, adjusted to the left, and slowly but deliberately pulled the trigger.

The world slowed to a crawl. The M107's barrel recoiled back into the frame as its bullet fired, venting hot gases out of the larger muzzle brake. The stock punched into Sunny's shoulder, then relaxed. As the low sound of the shot echoed shortly before being lost to the haze of ambient noise, and several metallic clinging noises signaled the ejection of the spent cartridge. Sunny continued to look down the scope as the invisible bullet passed through the window and into the trooper's head.

Immediately the people around him became terrorized; they saw this soldier with only half a head, but knew not what had dealt the blow. The gunshot had not reached them, it never would. Security, however, was quick to launch a high alert.

"It's alright, Sunny. They don't know where the shot came from. We're safe up here."

"How can you be sure, Uncle Hal?"

"Well, because, quite frankly, no one down there could begin to imagine a shot from this far away. They'll search concourse C for sure, but not here. Besides, you've got OctoCamo just in case."

"So we wait now?"

"Just until the alert calms down to a caution level. Then you can regroup with me, and we'll get back to the factory safe."

"Ok."

"I had the Mk IV look downrange with a spare scope when you took the shot. You did a great job, Sunny. Without a host, that arm will decay in a few hours. That's one sixth of the Snakeskin Unit down."

"I really did it,…didn't I," said Sunny, laying down and falling asleep.

Otacon watched over Sunny until morning, when he woke her to lead her back to him. She re-wrapped the M107 and retraced her steps back to through the ducts into the meditation room, from where she and Otacon left the airport and returned to Baltimore.


	8. Chapter 8: Time Off

Sunny and Otacon rode back to Baltimore that morning in an airport taxi, and Sunny fell asleep quickly on the torn up back seat as Otacon sat up front. He and the driver attempted communication until they reached the Baltimore city limits. He paid the driver, and got out, scooping Sunny out of the back seat and carrying her down the sidewalk to the sugar factory. Once inside, the drones of the machinery woke Sunny, and she slid down through his arms onto her own feet, and the two shuffled off into the small room in the back of the factory floor.

After the two were well rested, Otacon resumed his search for Snakeskin agents, and Sunny continued her training, this time focusing on physical conditioning and close combat. She was still averse to CQC, and hated the knife most of all. She remembered what Meryl had told her while they were training knife combat in the jungle:

"Knife combat is devastating, but requires a resolve on your part. If you get into knife combat, it means you're willing to get the enemy's blood on you. There can be no doubt in your mind if you pull your knife. Understand?"

Sunny came in that night, and ate while Otacon told her about his search progress. He wasn't able to locate any more Snakeskin troopers; the first lock had been purely by chance. He suggested that the next day, she go out into the city for a while.

"Can I really?"

"Sure. It might be a while before we find the next trooper, and you need some time off. Nothing but training and missions could have a negative effect on your psyche. We need you in top condition for the next mission, so take some time off. I've got a fresh change of clothes for you and some money to spend, so tomorrow morning you can get out there."

"Can you come with me?'

"I wish, but I've got to stay and continue the search for the other 5 Snakeskin troopers. Do you want me to send the Mk IV with you?"

"No, that's alright. You'll still be available over codec."

The next morning, Sunny dressed in the fresh clothes Otacon had given her, finally taking off the OctoCamo underneath. Rejoining Otacon in their small base, Sunny got large paper bag, and put the money he'd given her as well as the OctoCamo inside.

"Sunny, promise me you'll get the OctoCamo washed before you come back."

"Promise."

"There's a Laundromat a few blocks north from here; go there on your way to the harbor. Have fun out there, and keep in touch."

"Ok."

Sunny left the factory, and walked north to the Laundromat. Inside, she waited and observed how other people went about washing their clothes; she had never had to do this before. She called Otacon, and found out that the OctoCamo could be washed and spun with normal settings in cold water. She tossed the suit in, and inserted coins into the slot on the washer. She sat against a dryer opposite the washer, and watched transfixed as the OctoCamo acquired the color of the detergent, then the texture of the machine's inner grating as it was cleaned of the grime it had accumulated during the airport mission.

After drying the suit, Sunny folded it and put it back in her bag, heading out for the harbor. She perused the mall by the water's edge, and ate lunch at a diner-style restaurant for the first time. Going out to the waterfront she waved to Drebin, who sat atop his WHY vehicle, watching people go by. He returned her wave, and threw her another apple like the one he had produced earlier, calling, "this one's good to eat!"

She toured a decommissioned submarine in the harbor's water, and found it to be very much like the Nomad's interior, if a little tighter. After that, she wandered for a few minutes before finding and entering the Aquarium. Sunny, being of the perfect age for such things, was in awe of the sea life she saw, especially the humongous rays in a tank below the center of the building. She watched a dolphin show in a cavernous arena, and enjoyed the company of other children her age, matching their cheers and behaving like one her age for the first time in quite a while.

After leaving the Aquarium, Sunny looked to the north of the harbor, and saw an older neighborhood, with antiquated buildings that caught her eye. She ventured in, and found the atmosphere a little suspicious, as if she was being watched. Nevertheless, she admired the old architecture for several blocks until, rounding a street corner, she was stopped by a small group of locals.

There were three of them. A short but fierce man stood in the middle, with two taller wingmen at his flanks. They were all dressed in baggy jeans and sweatshirts, and had evil looks about them. The one in the middle approached Sunny, pulling out a small knife.

"Looks like someone's a little lost…"

"I…I…" Sunny tried to explain herself, but was too afraid, focused on the short man's knife to say anything.

"What's in the bag, then," asked one of the short one's wingmen.

"Let's see," the short one said, reaching into the bag still at Sunny's side. "Some kinda outfit, its weird looking," he remarked as he held up the OctoCamo suit. The points at which he held the suit turned a dark flesh tone, matching his hands.

"What the… This is really something. Here," he said as he tossed the garment to his friend.

"Please…give it back. I really need that…"

"Oh really? What are you going to do about it? Unless you want this knife in you, you'd better hand over whatever else is in the bag."

Sunny reached into the bag, and felt around in it, feeling through the few bills left after her day of sightseeing, but finding something unexpected: the Mk 23! Otacon must have packed it just in case. She set the bag down on the ground, and reached in with both hands. By feel she determined that the gun was loaded, with one round in the chamber already. Sunny gripped the gun tightly, and brought it out of the bag, aiming at the short man's face. She pulled back the hammer.

"Put the knife down, … please."

"Whoa, easy. Ok, there." He set the knife down gently. Sunny advanced, and kicked the knife far out of reach. Just as Meryl had taught her, she pulled out her own knife, holding it reverse-gripped in her left hand with the Mk 23 in the right. She patted down the short man for weapons, but found none. She then moved on to the one who held her OctoCamo.

"Give back the OctoCamo."

"Ok, here. Take it." Sunny searched him for weapons, and found a small single shot pistol in his pocket. She tossed the pistol away, and moved on to the third man. This man was also packing, in this case a small Glock pistol. She unloaded the gun, put on the safety, and threw it out into the street. She then backed up slowly, put the OctoCamo back in her bag, and backed around the corner before putting away her own weapons and running for home.


	9. Chapter 9: Eden Hall

Sunny awoke in darkness. She looked around, seeing only the metal walls of the shipping container, the same as before she had fallen asleep. The container was on its way to the Middle East, and Sunny with it. She had boarded the container in secret on Otacon's instructions, and was to wait until he could confirm that it was safe to exit.

Two days had passed since Sunny had come home from the streets of Baltimore, shaken by her encounter with the three muggers. Otacon had told her that this would be a normal part of life if she went out there. While she had been out, Otacon had discovered a lead on another Snakeskin trooper. There was an ex-militia member that Otacon knew through Drebin that had recently reported something odd. The ex-militia man said that the day before, he was checking into a hotel in Kuwait City, but saw a familiar face. The face resembled a mysterious man who had helped the militia defeat the PMC's and had contact with Drebin. Otacon procured surveillance footage of the hotel, and found the man's claims were true.

Sunny waited for Otacon's signal, then opened the container from the inside, (there is always a latch inside just in case someone got locked in,) and stepped out onto the cargo deck of a large freighter ship. It was bound for a port near Kuwait, and she was to hide on board until arrival, then sneak off into the city. When the ship made landfall a few hours later, Sunny camouflaged herself with the cleaned and pressed OctoCamo, and climbed down a ladder to the docks. From there, she followed the same procedure as at the Cryptology museum, and procured a car to drive her into the city. After exiting the car near the hotel, the Mk IV finally spoke up for the first time in nearly a day.

"Good job, Sunny. You're in the city. I'm sorry I haven't been in touch; I needed to see how you would do without my support, and you've done just fine."

"Ok. Where now?"

"I had the ex-militia informant brush by the target yesterday and stick him with a GPS tracker. It should show his position if you use the Solid Eye."

"Right. But how can I do this?"

"Well, based on our informant's data, it looks like he's got a room in a large hotel up north. You could snipe him, but we don't have the M107 along."

"Could I find a rifle somewhere around here?"

"Maybe. Lay low for a few minutes, I'll be back."

Otacon, still back in Baltimore, contacted Drebin via codec. Drebin told him that another arms dealer operated out of a small bar nearby.

"Sunny?"

"Yes?"

"Drebin has told me about a small-time arms dealer who's set up shop nearby. Put on some civilian clothes, and head over to the Eden Hall bar. It's to your north, in the lobby of the hotel that the target's staying at. Get over there."

"Ok." Sunny put on some normal clothes and walked towards the hotel, which was visible down the street through a light tan haze. "Uncle Hal, why would an elite soldier be staying at a hotel in the middle east?"

"I don't know, Sunny. I guess even soldiers need some time off."

"Oh." Sunny approached the upscale hotel, and entered, looking around for the bar.

"Sunny, the bar is to your left. Look for a large dark wooden door. There should be some decorative vines around the door. Go inside, and sit down at a table."

Sunny looked at the large, heavy door in front of her. "Am I even allowed in there?"

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, Sunny."

Sunny opened the door, stepped inside, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the low light. She found the bar to be almost empty. The only other person in the room was the bartender, a professional-looking man in a white collared shirt and vest; he was preoccupied with restocking the upper rails, but not too much to let his newest customer go unnoticed.

"Please, miss. Have a seat up here at the bar."

"Oh. Alright."

As Sunny approached the bar, Otacon called on the codec.

"Sunny, Drebin tells me that there's a secret password to give the bartender, to let him know you're looking for the arms dealer. Order a 'Rusty Nail, up.' Then, when he asks you, 'what caliber,' say 7.62 Magnum.' He should take you down some stairs behind the bar to the gun shop."

Sunny sat down at the bar, and watched the bartender continue to stock the ornate liquor bottles behind the bar.

"What can I get for you, miss?"

"A Rusty Nail, umm… Up."

"Miss, are you of age to drink?"

"No."

"Moreover, why would someone so young know what a Rusty Nail is?"

"Someone else told me about it?"

"Hmmm… I'd bet someone in your life was a real drinker."

"No, he was a smoker."

"Well, I can't serve you a drink."

"But I don't want a drink, I'm looking for something…else."

"Alright. What caliber?"

"7.62 Magnum."

"Come around, please."

Sunny followed the bartender down some stairs, to an equally upscale gun shop. Many rifles stood upright on stands around the walls, and handguns sat under glass, some unassembled, some ready-to-use. The bartender took down a rifle, and laid it down on the table, then took out a few spare magazines and boxes of ammunition.

"For you miss, This 7.62 Magnum DSR-1 is a perfect match. The compact, what we call 'bullpup,' design, suits your shorter stature The magnum powder charge behind each shell ensures a high-powered shot, despite the smaller caliber. I guarantee it will make the kill, effective up to 1500 meters. Please, let me help you."

The bartender took the rifle, and stood behind Sunny, placing the rifle into her hands, and pushing the stock into her shoulder. She cringed slightly as he did this, and the bartender took notice.

"You're bruised in your shooting shoulder. What have you been using?"

"An M107."

"That's…impressive, but you should find this rifle much more comfortable. Please, feel free to test fire it. I have a water tank over here for just such an occasion."

Sunny took up the rifle herself, but the bartender came over and adjusted it for her.

"Since the recoil will be significantly lower, you can put the stock up higher on your shoulder. Right…there."

"Alright."

Sunny loaded a magazine, pulled back the slide, and fired into the large tank across the room.

"Just remember, you don't need so much room between your eye and the scope now that you're using a smaller rifle. I can't offer you a higher magnification scope, but this one is scoped just right."

"Thank you, but…what do I owe you?"

"Nothing at all. Someone contacted me, and paid your bill in full. Someone in Baltimore; he seemed to know you were coming. Here, I'll pack this up for you; you can head back up into the bar if you like."

"Thank you."

Sunny climbed back up the stairs, and took a seat at a booth across from the bar. She sat for a minute or so, thinking about the bartender: 'He's such a polite man. Are all arms dealers polite, or are all polite people arms dealers?' As she sat there thinking, someone entered the room and took a seat at the bar; a well-built man, with swept back brown hair. Sunny had the terrible feeling that he may have been the trooper; she had not seen a picture of this one yet. She took out a small radio controller with a monitor, and took manual control of the camouflaged Mk IV. She guided it under the bar, and raised up the head to the level of the barstool. She tilted the head up, and caught a glimpse of the man's face.

She had seen that face before. She had looked up and watched it seethe after snatching a cigarette from its mouth, she had seen it asleep in the Nomad between missions, she had seen it behind glass in her scope. This was Snake's face, at least partially. It was still young, and the nose was not quite right, but it was too close for coincidence. Sunny was in the middle of lowering the Mk IV's head when the trooper turned about quickly, and saw Sunny with the radio controller. He gave her a scowl, but turned back to the bar.

"Crazy kids with your videogames," he mumbled, leaning on the bar. "Wait a minute… That was… Hey!" He spun around on the stool, looking for the girl he had seen. Something in his mind sparked when he saw that girl across the bar. She looked familiar somehow. But that girl was nowhere to be found.

"Something to drink, sir?" The bartender had ascended from the basement, and the trooper spun around again, greeted by the bartender's warm smile. Sunny stayed still, lying on the bench seat of the booth, having quickly stripped down to her OctoCamo before the trooper's double-take. She stayed perfectly still as the trooper ordered and drank down a scotch and water, then paid and left. Sunny then stood up, and disengaged the OctoCamo.

"That's some interesting technology you've got there, miss."

"Oh, thank you."

"What do you call it?"

"I'm not exactly…supposed to tell you."

"Oh, you can tell me…"

"Alright. It's called OctoCamo."

"How do you control the color it changes?"

"It just reacts to a surface you press against."

"Sunny, isn't it a little dangerous to give your particulars to strangers while on a mission?"

"Wha… How do you know my name?"

The bartender pressed a finger to his temple, and his face faded into a nondescript black film. He then removed the film like a mask, and revealed a familiar face.

"Johnny?"

"That's right, Sunny. When you told me about the OctoCamo back on the island, I was able to trace the name back to the original concept on the web, and bought an older model FaceCamo mask. Pretty impressive, right?"

"I guess so."

"Right. Anyway, you'd better get out there. The sun's going down, and you'll have your best chance to make the shot after he comes back from dinner. I'll be in touch by codec, frequency 146.43 if you need me. I'll go over to where he's eating and let you know when he goes up to his room. For now, head up to the rooftop across the street and wait for the shot. Ok?"

"Roger."

"It's Johnny."


	10. Chapter 10: Close Encounter

The night sky was hot and dry as Sunny waited quietly on the rooftops. She sat perched atop a small electrical box, observing the scenery. Trying to take her mind off the upcoming shot, she looked far off into the distance, seeing flashing lights from distant radio towers glowing in the night. As she tried to calm herself, Johnny called her via codec with a disturbing message: the Snakeskin trooper had been arrested for suspicion of terrorism and was being held at the prison downtown.

"But how's that possible?"

"Hearkens back to McCarthy's time, doesn't it?"

"When everyone was suspicious of communism?"

"Right. Anyway, I have a way that we can get you close enough to take him out. Meet me down in the bar."

"Ok."

Sunny re-entered the hotel, and headed for the bar. Johnny was just locking up, but in a US Military outfit. He finally looked to be back in his element. The two exited the hotel, and discussed the plan.

"Shouldn't I put on something else besides the OctoCamo and vest?"

"No, it's part of the plan. Now, the Snakeskin trooper is awaiting questioning. The local police are getting their time with him now, but we can get you in the room with him."

"How?"

"You just leave that to me, and play along."

"Ok…"

Sunny and Johnny made their way downtown, and entered the prison. Inside, the police stopped them.

"What business do you have here?"

Johnny began his ruse: "I understand you have an American soldier in custody. We're here to question him"

"Both of you?"

"Yes."

"A little girl?"

"Excuse me? This 'little girl' is the most talented psychic in our employment."

"Well, wait until our guys are done with him, then you can question him."

"Time is a factor here, sir!"

"Alright. I'll bring our people out, then you can go in."

"Thank you." The guard left briefly.

"Johnny, wasn't that lying?"

"No Sunny, that was just a bluff. Sometimes you have to bluff above your real ability to get anywhere."

"Oh."

The guard came back, and showed them in. Inside, the Snakeskin trooper sat restrained across a small wooden table.

"Finally," the trooper said. "an American." Sunny and Johnny were both surprised by the close resemblance this one bore to Snake, in face and voice.

"May I have your name, sir," asked Johnny.

"Yeah, the name's Snake."

"What kind of name is that? Besides the made up kind, I mean."

"Sorry, just popped in there. The name's Lance Bradshaw."

"I see. Sunny, check him."

"Right," she said, speaking up for the first time since entering the room. She walked over to the well restrained soldier, and rolled up his sleeves. Sure enough, one of his arms was older and wrinkled.

"Check for the joint," Johnny said. Sunny took out her knife, and cut the soldier's sleeve at the shoulder, revealing a metal ring and stitches where Snake's limb had been attached.

"So mister…Bradshaw was it? What do you know about a plot to resurrect the war economy?"

"What're you talkin' about? Is this about my arm? I lost it in the war, and someone offered me a free donation. What was I supposed to do?"

"Did you get this person's name?"

"Yeah, … his name was Campbell."

"Are you still in contact with Mr. Campbell?'

"No. I wanted to find him and thank him, but he disappeared."

Sunny had been watching this quietly from the soldier's side, but couldn't take the pressure anymore. She broke her silence.

"We know you're under orders from him, and we know what you're for. We know you're waiting for the limb you got to assimilate your body to it, so tell us the truth." She brought out the Mk 23, and pointed it at the side of his head, trembling.

"Ok, Ok. After I got the arm, he told me to go far away and wait for something to happen with the arm. I didn't know what he meant, but he paid well. I didn't know, I sw…"

The soldier's voice trailed off, and his head slumped down. His breathing became heavy, and the flesh of the grafted arm overtook the metal ring at his shoulder. Then, the soldier lifted his head up again, and looked Sunny in the eyes. This time, it was not the soldier's eyes, but Snake's. He looked at her, and a tremendous calm came over his face, as if he had just encountered an old friend. "Sunny," he said, beginning to smile.

"Snake…" Sunny began to smile herself. The soldier, smiling with Snake's face, began to embrace Sunny. As she began to return the motion, the trooper grasped her knife, withdrew his arms, and stabbed Sunny in her left shoulder. She did not crumple as she once thought she would if injured, but fell further into the soldier's fake embrace. The soldier tried to pull out his knife to finish her off, but Sunny only gripped him tighter. Still holding the Mk 23 in her right hand, she brought her head to the left of the trooper's head, resting it on his shoulder. She slowly pulled back the hammer, and pressed the muzzle to the back of his head.

"I'm so sorry."


	11. Chapter 11: War Story

The gunshot echoed off the smooth concrete walls of the interrogation room. Sunny staggered to catch the trooper's body as it slumped onto her. She was panting from the ordeal, having narrowly missed her own head with the shot. The Mk 23 was still pressed against the trooper's head, and Sunny had not released the trigger. Johnny walked over, and lifted up the body. He let the body drop, and looked over to Sunny. He knelt down in front of her, and took the gun from her hand. He engaged the safety, and set it down on the table.

"Sunny, are you alright?"

"I…I…I killed him," she said between gasps and sobs.

"You did your job, Sunny. That's all that matters."

"I felt it, Johnny."

"What?"

"I felt when his heart stopped beating. I saw the life leave his eyes."

"Killing isn't easy, Sunny. Not for anyone."

"You never saw their faces. You never felt their hearts stop."

"I have, Sunny."

"W…what?"

Johnny brushed the hair out of Sunny's face and looked into her eyes. She was still teary, but was not sobbing anymore. She just stood there, waiting for Johnny's story. He removed his sunglasses, showing his surprisingly stern face. He took a deep breath, and began his story:

I was just a Lance Corporal back then, and had just been assigned to a new squad. I was pretty nervous, but tried to keep me cool while I approached the rendezvous point. Coming around the corner, someone grabbed me by my weapon and flipped me head over heels. I noticed something as that someone set down my weapon: that was not a man's body. The way that tight suit let you see the shape of her…

"What?"

Oh, sorry. So anyway, I thought, 'Wow. What a woman.' And I was going to work with her for the whole tour of duty. But that day, we went into combat against these new soldiers. These weren't PMC soldiers. These were new. They wore a metallic uniform, used P90s, and were expertly trained. They could spring from wall to wall, and cling there while engaging targets. Our squad got into a small firefight: 4 of us against 6 of them. Meryl and the other two each shot one down as soon as we saw them, but I hesitated. Once I had taken off the safety on my weapon, Meryl had taken down two more with her Desert Eagle. She was amazing, and I was so distracted that I didn't see it when one rushed me. It pounced on top of me, and tried to cut me with it's knife. I reached for my sidearm, and shot it near the heart, but not before the enemy had given me a shallow cut across my chest in the struggle. It fell on top of me, and I sat up and took it in my arms. My squad held back; Meryl said, 'No. This is his first kill. Let it happen.' I removed the enemy's helmet, and saw it's face. A woman's face, poking out from a mass of wires, in the throes of death. I applied pressure to the spot on her chest where I had shot her, naively trying to save the enemy. She coughed, and with her last breath muttered, 'you men are all the same.' I saw as the shine in her eyes faded, and felt her heart quit under my hand. I was haunted by that face, Sunny. It's still with me to this day, and it's a weight I carry because of how personal that kill was. It's what the Samurai would call 'the scent of battle,' and for one to have it about the was the sign of a truly impressive yet sensitive warrior…"

"How can you tell, Johnny?"

"Look into my eyes, Sunny. Watch them change as I remember that day." She did, and noticed a slight change in his eyes, as though the life in them had moved back momentarily. "You have it too, Sunny. You care even about the people you kill. That's the mark of a true warrior."

"Did…did Snake have it?"

"Yes, but now that I think about it, his eyes always looked that way."

At that moment the guards rushed in, and demanded to know what had happened. Johnny stood up, put his sunglasses on, and became official once again. He told them that the detainee had broken free while the psychic was analyzing him. The detainee attacked, and the psychic was forced to shoot in self defense. Johnny signed some papers, and led Sunny out of the room.

"So, now that that's all over with, what do we do now, Sunny?"

"I don't know, let me ask Uncle Hal. Hey, Uncle Hal," she said, kneeling down to talk to the Mk IV, which had been left outside the police station. "What do we do now?"

"Sunny, first of all, well done with that last trooper. The police sent me something on US Military clearance which contained security footage. That was a tough situation, but you handled it well."

"Thank you. But, where do we go now?"

"We? Oh, right; Johnny. Well, why don't you two take a civilian plane back to the US. I'll meet you at BWI. Your tickets…are waiting for you."

"Thanks, Uncle Hal."

"I'll see you when you land. And Sunny, try to have some fun."

"Ok!"

Sunny and Johnny took a taxi to the nearest airport, where there were indeed tickets waiting for them. Their flight left right on time; Sunny and Johnny were in the air, homeward bound. Sunny took this opportunity to learn some more about Johnny.

"Johnny, how did you and Meryl meet?"

"Remember Sunny? When she ambushed me the first day we worked together?"

"Oh, right. And you still liked her, even though she was better than you?"

"Well Sunny, I think I liked her because she was better than me. She's a strong, independent woman. The kind of woman who likes to be on top…" Sunny shot him a quizzical look. "Of things. On top of things. Right. So, yes, I think that's the reason."

"Huh. That's interesting. Does that make you the Uke, Johnny?"

"What? Sunny, where did you learn about things like that?"

"The internet."

"Don't you think it's better to learn about that stuff from a real person?"

"Why don't you teach me?"

"I…umm…well Sunny, in life, there are two kinds of people. Some people pitch, and some people…catch. Understand?"

"Uncle Hal already taught me all about baseball, if that's what you mean."

"Sure, let's go with that. So," he said, trying to change the subject, "anything else you'd like to know?"

"When did you ask Meryl to marry you," Sunny asked, expecting a traditional romantic scenario.

"Well, it was during this gunfight we were having on Outer Haven. We were pinned down, and I thought that we were going to die, so I asked Meryl to marry me. She said no. Then, a few seconds later, she asked me to marry her, so I said yes. Once Snake deactivated the System through GW's server, we were safe. We headed back to base, and planned the wedding."

"That's not how I imagined it, but that's still pretty neat."

"I thought so too."

"So, what were you doing on that island when we visited you?"

"We were on our honeymoon."

"What's that?"

"Well… it's when a newly married couple takes a trip to…relax."

"What were you doing before we came? There wasn't much to do on a deserted island."

"Oh, don't you worry, Sunny. Meryl kept me busy, that's for sure."

"Doing what?"

"Fishing, mostly," he said, while thinking to himself, 'good cover, good cover.' "Well, we'd better get some sleep."

"Awww…"

"Hey, it's a long flight. There'll be lots of time for talking tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok."

"Then for now, Good night."

"Good night."


	12. Chapter 12: Fever Dream

_Sunny was on the run. She sprinted frantically across familiar catwalks. Somehow, she had woken up in the factory back in Baltimore. The factory was different, though; the lights Otacon had replaced were mostly out, and the booby traps were nowhere to be found. Everything seemed a bit more rusted, and the strangest murals adorned the walls. Slowing down temporarily, Sunny approached one, to get a better look._

_The paint was old and chipped, and the colors were faded, but the over-all picture was still determinable. In the mural, a ring of five dolls sat in the distance on a flowering green field while one doll in the foreground waved, with a speech bubble that read "Sing Along Party!" (People who have played __Condemned: Bloodshot, you know what's coming.)_

_Sunny was barely able to turn around as a soft, mechanical giggle drifted to her ears from behind. She was paralyzed with fear; she remembered this sound from her nightmares. After a moment, she turned about swiftly and faced her fear (quite literally). A small, mangled doll crawled on its remaining limbs towards her. Its eyes glowed a soft orange, illuminating the many nails driven into its scalp. Sunny was terrified beyond measure, even though the monstrosity moved quite slowly. She eventually managed to turn and run; she was headed for the one safe place in the factory she knew of: the small room Otacon had furnished for them._

_As she left the hellish doll behind, her courage and optimism began to resurface. Her pace increased, and her adrenaline pumped. She was not about to be caught by some doll; she had avoided death at the hands of trained soldiers many times. She rounded the corners at top speed, and began to smile as she left fear completely behind. _

_In the cabin of the jet airliner, Johnny sat uneasily as he looked over to Sunny's limp body. She had begun to convulse while asleep, and the flight crew had administered a heavy tranquilizer to keep her still and quiet. Worried, Johnny called Otacon for advice._

"_Hey, Otacon, it's Johnny. Bad news."_

"_Is this about Sunny?"_

"_Yeah. I finally got her to sleep, but she started…"_

"_Convulsing? I thought so. I was picking up some high readings from the OctoCamo's internal monitoring system."_

"_That…That's not a function of the suit!"_

"_It wasn't for Snake, but I wanted to keep an eye on Sunny's condition, besides what her voice can tell us."_

"_Nice. Anyway, they gave her a pretty serious dose, they say she'll be out for 8 hours."_

"_But you land in 2."_

"_I know, I'll handle it. Should I bring her back to the factory, then?"_

"_That'll be fine. Thank you so much for taking care of her, Johnny."_

"_No problem; I wouldn't let anything happen to your kid."_

"_She's not… never mind. Thanks again, Johnny."_

"_See you on the ground." Otacon leaned back in his chair, and spoke aloud to no one._

"_She's not my daughter, but my 'kid?' Maybe… I need a drink." He locked down his computers, and headed into town for a few hours._

_The door was in sight now, less than fifty yards away. Sunny beamed with anticipation as she bolted for the crack of light dead ahead._

"_Uncle Hal! Uncle Hal! I'm home!" The door grew closer and closer, and Sunny smiled wider as she finally reached it and pushed the door open. Immediately she was blinded by an intense, bright red light that seemed to come from the entire back wall of the room. Silhouetted in the deep crimson light was a shape that Sunny's mind could not immediately recognize; Barely above the floor, two small shadows extended from the base of a thin, vaguely triangular form, suspended by a thin line that stretched from the ceiling. As Sunny struggled to comprehend what she was seeing, her eyes adjusted to the light, betraying the true nature of the shadow._

_Johnny, feeling rather the fool, carted Sunny's twitching body out to the waiting taxi on the tarmac at the airport. The tranquilizer was still keeping her suppressed, though she was convulsing again. Johnny laid her across the back seat, and took his place beside the driver. He gave the man the address, and turned back to Sunny. She looked quite odd in her current state; her attire did little to conceal the OctoCamo, and her face was soaked in sweat. Oddly, she was smiling widely as Johnny observed. He began to turn back, when Sunny let out a sudden groan. As he focused on her expression again, her smile lessened, becoming tense and nervous. Her eyes moved about furiously under her fluttering eyelids as she gave a muffled cry. Her back arched as her suppressed scream continued until she finally became limp and fell silent._

_Sunny screamed as she saw the shadow for what it truly was: Otacon's body swung back and forth slightly, suspended from the neck by a length of thin cord. His face depicted a scream, though no sound came from his mouth, only a thin trickle of blood. Sunny fell back in disbelief, then called up to the lifeless body._

"_Uncle Hal! What happened!? What!?" As Sunny's words echoed slowly, Otacon's body began to spasm as it coughed up more blood, and its eyes moved about frantically before finally falling upon the quivering girl on the ground below. It called out in a gasping manner, barely raising its arm in gesture._

"_S…Sunny…C-c-cut…Sh…sh…" Sunny looked on in terror, and watched as the body's right index finger clenched and relaxed mechanically, then eventually drooped down permanently. Sunny tried frantically to interpret the words and gestures, then-_

"_Sh…Shoot! Hang on, Uncle Hal!" She drew the Mk. 23, and aimed it at the cord. She hesitated; the cord was swinging back and forth from the body's earlier motions. She fired. Once, Twice, Three times. Four. The fourth grazed the edge, and the cord began to fray. Sunny fired the rest of the rounds from the Mk 23 in panic, and the cord finally snapped. Otacon's body fell to the ground with a thud. Sunny ran over, and took Otacon's head in her lap, searching for any signs of life. She passed a hand over his mouth; nothing. She pressed three fingers to his neck, waited… A pulse! Sunny pulled Otacon's chin up, held his nose, and tried desperately to breathe air into his inert body. As she continued, three black shadows appeared on the wall behind her, speaking amongst themselves in raspy voices._

"_Good luck, Sunny."_

"_Not much use after the first ten minutes."_

"_Sad to watch her try."_

_Johnny at last felt relief as the taxi pulled up near the factory. He paid, and hoisted Sunny's limp body out of the back seat. The driver shot Johnny a quizzical look, but knew better than to ask questions. Johnny carried Sunny for a few blocks until he was pulled from behind into a dark alley only a block away from the factory._

"_Hey! What's this all about?"_

"_Quiet, Johnny."_

"_Otacon?"_

"_That's right." Johnny spun around, and saw Otacon in his usual sweater and slacks, but this time wearing a long tan trench coat._

"_So, what are we doing out here?"_

"_I was out for a walk, … well, for a drink. Regardless; I returned about 30 minutes ago to see three soldiers entering the factory."_

"_Not US Military, I take it?"_

"_They had his face, Johnny."_

"_So, it's come to this, has it?"_

"_Yes. I don't know what to do, though. We don't have any weapons; they're all stashed inside."_

"_Locked up, I hope?"_

"_I run a tight operation, Johnny. The Snake Skin troopers won't get to them, if that's what you mean."_

"_Well, what about-"_

"_Drebin? Out on private business. Gathering stock."_

"_Well, Sunny's got the Mk 23."_

"_And she's sound asleep."_

"_I could do it! Let me have the weapon, and I'll take those bastards down myself!"_

"_No. You couldn't get close enough to make the shot count. Remember, these guys think and act just like Snake. We need camouflage if we're going to make the kill."_

"_And I doubt I could squeeze into Sunny's OctoCamo."_

"_We have to wake Sunny up."_

_Sunny whipped around from Otacon's body, and was greeted by the sight of three Snakes. They were in strange uniforms, like the troopers she had killed, but their faces were all His. They smirked, and she turned back to Otacon. She kept giving him breaths, and one Snake knelt by her side, watching and whispering into her ear._

"_He was up there too long, Sunny. You can't make him breathe again, though you try and try."_

_She only intensified her work, trying to put his words out of her mind. As she continued, another crouched down, and whispered into her other ear._

"_Breathing for him doesn't do any good if his heart isn't beating, Sunny." Sunny put her fingers to Otacon's throat, but felt no pulse. His heart had stopped despite her best efforts. Through ever growing tears, Sunny switched from rescue breathing to full CPR, as the third Snake bent down low, and told her the truth._

"_There comes a point, Sunny, after which you can't bring someone back. No matter how hard you try, there is a point of no return."_

"_I…I loved him. And…you…you took him away from me."_

"_You've never truly loved anyone. The only thing you've ever truly done is killing. And you were good at it."_

"_I…loved Snake, too."_

"_And where's he? He's dead as well. Well, mostly. Isn't that strange?"_

"_What?" Sunny's despair turned to rage as the troopers began to laugh. "What's so funny?"_

"_I'm sorry, Sunny. It's just that, hehe, everyone you care about is dying! It's so damned hilarious!"_

_Johnny ran back into the alley, carrying a bucket of water._

"_Otacon, I hope this works, because this is some really dank water."_

"_That'll do, Johnny. Just dump it on her face a little bit at a time. We've got to get her conscious."_

_Johnny positioned the bucket over Sunny's head, and was about to pour when her hand suddenly shot up, catching his wrist. The two men watched in shock as Sunny, in a kind of sleep-walking state, stood up straight and drew her weapon. She ran off towards the factory door, and disappeared into the darkness within. Johnny and Otacon looked to each other, shrugged, and followed cautiously._

_In her fever dream, Sunny was giving chase to the Troopers, who had left Otacon's corpse behind and wandered back into the factory. She engaged her OctoCamo, and edged down a narrow hallway, weapon drawn._

_Otacon and Johnny watched from cover as Sunny pressed against the wall, acquired the camouflage signature, and crept up a staircase to the second level. They saw her emerge on the catwalks, and point her weapon down the factory's length. Otacon took out a pair of binoculars, and saw her target: the three soldiers, tightly grouped, were moving towards her._

_Sunny saw the group, still laughing to themselves as they walked closer. They were in her sights, but she had something else in mind for them. They had killed Otacon, and she was going to make them pay._

_Otacon and Johnny saw Sunny lay prone on the catwalk, and inch forward as the squad moved in, weapons drawn, silent. Otacon gasped as Sunny reached onto her back and drew her knife._

"_What's up, Otacon?"_

"_She's using the knife instead of the Mk 23."_

"_I didn't think she had it in her."_

"_Not in reality. In her dream, maybe."_

_Sunny rolled over to the very edge, and lay perfectly still as the troopers moved past. Their weapons were holstered, and their guards down. It was time to exact revenge. She waited for them to pass, then stood up and crept along behind them, leaving only a few inches space. She matched their footsteps, and, once one of the two in back had fallen a foot behind, she reached out and grabbed the unwary soldier. Her hand covered his mouth as she quickly cut his throat, leaving her forearm in front of the slit to stop spray from alerting the other two. Laying the body gently down, she did the same for the second. The last soldier walked along, and turned a corner. Sunny was inches behind him, matching his step. _

_She tapped her foot out of step, alerting him. As he spun about, Sunny crouched down below his vision, and moved behind him. As the soldier turned back around to investigate another rogue tap, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down, and saw Sunny, eyes fully open, staring back at him with her hand on the knife's grip._

_Otacon took notice, and alerted Johnny._

"_Johnny! She's awake! Her eyes are open!"_

"_Really? What's she doing?"_

"_Just…just standing there. Wait, she's talking to the last soldier."_

"_What's she saying?"_

"_I haven't the slightest idea."_

"_Do you feel this?"_

"_What?"_

"_This pain!?" She drove the blade in deeper._

"…_Yes."_

"_You took him away from me."_

"_Who? I don't know what you're talking about…" She gave another push; the soldier faltered back onto the railing of the catwalk._

"_My Uncle Hal! You took him away from me, so now, I'll take this world away from you!"_

"_I didn't…"_

"_Shut up!" She squeezed the grip, and a charge coursed through the soldier's body. He leaned back against the railing, panting as the shock subsided._

"… _Please… Don't kill me… Sunny."_

"_I loved you, Snake." She released the knife, and reached for the Mk 23._

"_You…"_

"_But you said ..." She pulled back the hammer, and pointed the muzzle at the soldier's forehead._

"_No…"_

"_You said I was only good at killing. So, that's just what I'll do. I'll kill you, you bastard."_

"…"

"_And I'll work on loving people afterward."_

_Fin._


End file.
